If you’re ever wondering what I REALLY want, it’s a silly thing. I made the mistake some years back of loaning out a book that meant something to me, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Yes, I could go buy another copy of it, and I probably will soon because I wish to re-read the whole series after seeing the movies.

But, it’s this actual copy, or at the very least the set of which it was part that means something to me. It’s the set my dad gave to me. He read that set, and read them to Laura and I, and we each read that set as well. A bit of a family heirloom if you will. Plus, it was one of my earliest introductions into the world of fantasy writing. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth is the definitive end-all, be-all of fantasy literature. It is no blasphemy to say that as far as the fantasy genre goes, he is Shakespeare. Every author who ever scribes the word ‘elf’ or ‘dwarf’ realizes to himself he is but in some way rehashing what Tolkien has already created.

Sadly, whomever I lent the copy out to years ago never returned it. Doh! (Doesn’t mean I won’t lend books out again, I love to encourage people to read, and I could care less if I don’t get a copy back that means nothing to me). But, the rest of this set will not be loaned out ever.
So, to get to the point, I’m looking for a paperback of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit by Ballantine Books, Fifty-Eighth printing, January 1978. Creme cover with a small natural-toned artwork on the front. I browse the book collection web sites every now and then, but to no avail. I’ve told myself time and again not to put too much value in things, and I certainly know the whole set could go up in flames and my life would go on, so even if I just have the Fellowship of the Rings (the trilogy following the Hobbit), it’ll always mean something to me and I’ll be looking forward to the day that I read it to my son or daughter and hand it down to them.

UPDATE: I ordered a copy online a couple of days ago after blogging this. I really think it’s the right copy (fingers crossed). We’ll see.